


Along For the Ride

by MyPurpleSkies



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cherokee Heritage, F/M, Goblins, Herbology, Humor, Irish heritage, Medicine Woman - Freeform, Monsters, Mythology - Freeform, Quote: Family Don't End With Blood (Supernatural), Romance, Urban Legends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyPurpleSkies/pseuds/MyPurpleSkies
Summary: Danielle Awenasa Callaghan thought being a hunter was complicated enough. That is until she joins the Winchesters along for one hell of a ride that involves repeatedly saving the world from danger, falling for a Trickster that's more than he seems, hiding the fact that your godfather isn't exactly human from the boys you're beginning to see as part of your family, and discovering that she and the King of Hell share a mutual appreciation for David Bowie's music. Not to mention being told by a cupid that she's met her soul mate already. Oh, let's not forget that she nearly died and was saved by some mysterious stranger that Death refuses to tell her the identity of.
Relationships: Crowley (Supernatural)/Original Female Character(s), Donna Hanscum/Original Male Character(s), Gabriel (Supernatural)/Original Female Character(s), Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. The Scars of Our Past

**Author's Note:**

> (I can't begin to tell you how long I've been working on this fanfic. Heck, I'm still working on it! I didn't think I'd ever really post it, but seeing as how I've been working on this since about 2011, I figured, why not share it? Now that the show is over, I feel like it's time.
> 
> Dani is very special to me. By writing her story, she's helped me to reconnect with a part of my ancestry that was almost lost to me. The Cherokee Nation. I apologize in advance for any incorrect aspects of the Cherokees. Like I said, this part of me was almost lost forever and I've had to reconnect with it all on my own, so I'm no expert, but I'm not winging it either.
> 
> So, without further ado, I present the first chapter of this fanfic that's grown along with me and the show of Supernatural. I hope you'll come 'Along For the Ride'.)
> 
> ~ 'Smokin' by Boston (intro song)
> 
> ~ 'Half Breed' by Shania Twain (or Cher, whichever. If you want to go with the 70s theme of music like Supernatural, listen to Cher's version)
> 
> ~ 'Danny's Song' by Anne Murray (the song playing on the radio)
> 
> ~ 'Kiamichi' by Jay Red Eagle

**Sioux Falls, South Dakota**

**May 2006**

Never in her nineteen years of life did Dani Callaghan ever think that she'd have to rely on a slingshot to save her life. A baseball bat, yes. A whip, yes. Her own two fists, yes. But a _slingshot_?

Dani ran as fast as her long legs could carry her while disembodied laughter echoed in the dark forest around her. She tightly clutched the useless slingshot in her left hand as she searched the ground for the baseball bat that had been snatched from her and flung away. _Where is it!_

"Dani girl! Behind you!" Bobby Singer shouted.

Dani immediately dropped to the ground and felt a rush of wind as a flying object whooshed past her. Not wasting time, Dani flipped onto her back and reached into the pouch at her belt. She placed a ground spinner firework into the slingshot's leather pad and lit the fuse before pulling back the rubber straps. The flying object was coming back for her and this time it was screaming with hunger. "Eat this!" Dani shouted and released the slingshot.

The ground spinner sailed a straight course and met her aim into the mouth of a flying dismembered head. A _kanontsistontie_. According to Iroquois legend, theywere the spirits of people who were practitioners of cannibalism while they lived. Their severed heads grew bat-like wings and their hunger for human flesh was insatiable due to a lack of stomach. Thanks to Dani's love of folklore, myths, legends, and fairytales, she was already familiar with the legend, and it had saved her and Bobby hours of research and the lives of some young campers who'd been spared a gruesome death. But now those flying heads were after Dani and Bobby instead.

The kanont swallowed the ammo and continued flying for Dani, but just when it was ten feet away, the head exploded. Dani covered her face as bits of flesh and bone rained down. "Dani! I'm out of ammo!" Bobby yelled.

"On it!" Scrambling to her feet, Dani's dark brown gaze happened to spot the fallen baseball bat lying at the foot of a tree a few feet away. She scooped it up and charged towards the older man who was swinging a bat of his own as two other flying heads swerved around him. A small stitch in her side made running uncomfortable but Dani pushed on, closing the distance between her and Bobby.

One head flew at Bobby's front while the other, its skeletal jaws opening and closing with vicious snaps, circled Bobby and came at him from behind. Dani leapt forward and cracked the bat upside the latter head, and it went spiraling away. "Here!" she huffed out of breath as she tossed a ground spinner to Bobby.

With an unearthly yowl, the skull Dani had hit came speeding back to them. Dani readied her slingshot, lit the fuse, took aim, and fired. The head gulped it down and exploded. She reached into her pouch and came up empty. "I'm out. Make it count, Bobby." She lifted the baseball bat and waited.

The third head's flight became a path of twists and turns, making Bobby's attempts to aim nearly impossible. Dani and Bobby never took their eyes off it. Dani's two-handed grip on the bat intensified. Finally, with a blood thirsty yowl, the creature's aimless flying took on a deadly precision and sped towards them. "Ready?" Bobby muttered.

Dani adjusted her feet into a batter's stance. "Yep."

Bobby lit the spinner, took aim, and fired. The head's scream turned into a gag as it chocked on the spinner, but its speed never slowed. "I think the spinner's fuse was a dud. Hit it, Dani!"

Just as the _kanontsistontie_ closed in, Dani swung the bat with all her strength. She felt the reverberations of the impact through the wood. Bobby had been wrong about the fuse being a dud though. The instant Dani's bat made contact with the creature, it exploded with the additional help of her swing. Bits of bone, flesh, rotting brains, and teeth splattered onto Dani's clothes and face.

Bobby let out a victorious whoop. Adjusting his faded and well-worn baseball cap, Bobby turned to Dani with a grin. "Great swing, Dani gi…" The smile dropped from his face and became a grimace. "Oh."

She still held the bat with both hands, frozen with disgust the moment she'd been covered in gore. Smelly fluids dripped from her clothes and a bit of rotted scalp was stuck to Dani's shoulder. Her purple flannel shirt now sported a grey-green tinge to it. She tried not to move her lips too much as she said, "I think some of it got in my mouth."

Bobby scratched the back of his neck. "I think I got an old towel in the truck. You could use it to sit on."

Dani nodded. "'kay… Bobby?"

"Yeah, kid?"

Get me something clean to wipe my face off, will ya?"

Bobby's lips twitched. "Sure, kid. Comin' right up."

Dani tried to ignore the chuckles she heard once Bobby considered himself a safe enough distance away. To keep herself preoccupied, Dani examined the wooden bat. It was slightly scorched due to the explosion and a small crack split from the top to two inches down. Otherwise, it was still in good condition. Seán Callaghan would have been proud of his daughter's swing.

Dani turned it over in her hands, feeling the grooves and smooth surface. Some writing near the handle caught her eye. In the darkness, it was difficult to make out. She brought the bat closer to her eyes.

_Joey_

Dani felt her throat close up as ice seeped into her blood and chilled her. Everything seemed to stop all around her. _Joey. This was Joey's bat. How could I forget that? He used to practice with this every day._ Bobby and Dani had been in a hurry. They'd just grabbed whatever weapons they could find in the house and jumped in Bobby's truck and took off. Dani remembered seeing the bat leaning in a corner of the living room. She'd grabbed it without thinking.

_He wanted to be a baseball player._

"Dani girl, what's wrong? It's just muck, you've been covered in worse crap –," Bobby's gaze fell on the bat and the name written in sharpie. "Oh," he breathed.

"Did you find anything?" Dani asked, fighting the tremor in her voice. Bobby saw the white knuckled grip she had on the bat.

"Uh, yeah. Not exactly clean though. It's a rag I use when I'm workin' on the truck's engine. It's got some oil and grease stains on it."

"Better than nothing." Dani held out her left hand for it, still clutching the bat in her right. Bobby handed the rag to her. She wiped furiously at her face until most of the gore was gone. Bobby noticed what looked like tear tracts on her cheeks but said nothing. "Well, Dani said, forcing some enthusiasm into her voice. "Let's get going. There's a hot shower and warm bed calling my name at home."

* * *

Bobby's old 1968 Ford F-350 was due for retirement. Dani often joked with him about the run-down vehicle, but he stubbornly continued to tinker with it and somehow managed to keep it alive. When the truck gave a rather audible groan as Bobby was driving them home and Dani made no teasing remark, worry sank deep into Bobby's mind. Instead of placing the filthy baseball bat into the truck bed, Dani had brought it in the truck with her. The endcap of the bat was on the floor and the taper between her legs. One hand rested on the knob.

Bobby side glanced at her. Her face was turned towards the passenger window. Bobby reached over and turned down the radio. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Dani blinked and she glanced back at him before gazing out the window again. "Sure, I guess," she said quietly.

"What's going through your mind?"

"…Guilt. Then I tell myself what you and Uncle Reshen told me. It wasn't my fault."

"You're damn right it wasn't."

"I still feel like it was though. Sometimes – not all the time like I used to, but…" Dani exhaled and shifted in her seat. "I still feel it."

"…Have you heard from Matt?" Bobby asked cautiously.

Dani didn't answer immediately. She swallowed and thumbed the bat's wooden handle. "No," she said. "Haven't heard from him since last year. You?"

"No. And to be honest, Dani girl, I'm not exactly mournful about it."

"I'm not sure whether I want to hear from him again either."

"What your brother did to you – leaving you like that –," Bobby clenched his teeth and stopped himself from completing the sentence.

Dani reached over and gently squeezed his arm. "I'm fine now, _Yonu_. God delivered me to your door."

Bobby grunted. "Something brought you from hundreds of miles away to my front porch without leaving a trace, that's for sure."

Dani smiled. "Still doubtful that God had a hand in it, _Yonu_?" _Yonu_ , the Cherokee word for 'bear'. It fit the bearded, gruff man so well.

"Call me paranoid, but in our line of work, nothin is as it seems."

"Amen to that."

The two lapsed into silence. Bobby turned up the radio and they listened to country music for the rest of the drive home.

* * *

The headlights of Bobby's truck illuminated the small, cluttered half-porch of Bobby's front door. A faded light blue, three-story house with two brick chimney flues on its right side. The windows on the second and third floors were all boarded up.

Dani sighed. "Bobby, one of these days we are going to have to repaint that house."

"It has character like this," Bobby argued, putting the truck in park.

Dani snorted. "It has a crazy old man, 'hey you kids, get off my lawn,' look. If you start walking around with a cane, I'm sure the image will be complete."

Bobby rolled his eyes and turned off the ignition. An excited barking could be heard from outside. "Sounds like somebody missed us," Dani said, smiling.

"He missed you. You turned my guard dog into a good-for-nothin' pet."

Dani opened her door and stepped out. She leaned in through the open window and gave Bobby a mischievous grin. "What's wrong with that?" she asked and winked before turning away.

Bobby muttered to himself as he got out of the vehicle. "'Beware of dog'. _Hmph_. Beware of _what_? Gettin' slobbered on?"

Dani went straight for the source of the barking. A large Rottweiler ran at Dani, a thick chain trailing behind him. Once Dani was sure she was within the dog's reach, she dropped to her knees and flung out her arms. "Come 'ere, Rumsfeld!" she called enthusiastically.

_Whomp!_

Dani was knocked backwards as a load of fur, tongue, and paws collided with her. "Oof!" she groaned. Slobbery doggy kisses rained down on her face as Rumsfeld whined excitedly, unable to keep still. Dani laughed as she shielded her mouth from unwanted dog drool. "All right, settle down, boy," she said, trying to sit up.

Rumsfeld pounced on her again, this time his paws came down on her stomach. Dani let out an agonized cry of pain and immediately the dog backed away, head lowered and looking contrite. Bobby, house keys poised at the door, ran swiftly towards them. Dani lay on the ground, her right arm wrapped protectively around her middle. Bobby dropped to his knees beside her. "Did he bite ya, Dani?"

Dani quickly shook her head and waved her free hand at her abdomen. "He didn't mean to, but he jumped on the bad one," Dani explained, her voice shaky. Rumsfeld whimpered and inched closer, keeping his head low to the ground. Dani, her eyes closed for the moment, twitched her lips to form a small smile. "It's okay, boy. It's okay," she reassured him.

Bobby shook his head. "I shouldn't have taken you with me on the case. It's too soon."

Dani opened her eyes and glared at him. "We're not discussing this again. It's been well over a year. I'm okay."

Bobby scoffed and gestured at her prone position. "Oh, obviously."

Dani gingerly sat up. "Rumsfeld did this – just now. Not while I was on a case."

"You're still in pain."

"Only when particular scars are touched. It's fine otherwise. _I'm_ fine." To emphasize her point, Dani stood to her feet, arm still wrapped around herself, but otherwise looking confident. She glared down at him, daring him to contradict her. Bobby rose to his full height or five feet and eleven inches and made it his point to look down at her. Dani, being only graced with five feet and eight inches, did not appreciate this. "Let's just get inside. I want to wash off this gunk and try to salvage this shirt."

Turning on her heel, Dani marched towards the house. She didn't slow down as she grabbed the doorknob and gave it a twist, expecting the door to open. It didn't. Dani smacked into it with an 'oof'. Fully embarrassed, she waited a few seconds before looking back at Bobby who'd seen it happen. Dani nodded and compressed her lips into a thin line. "Very solid door," she remarked followed up with a haughty sniff. Immediately her face crumpled into disgust. "Oh my – gah! Bobby! Open the door, I have got to wash this stuff off!"

* * *

In the bathroom, Dani carefully pealed off her gore-soaked clothes. She grimaced as she removed her stained cami. Standing before the mirror in only her bra and panties, Dani couldn't help but survey her body for any further damage. Not that it would have mattered since her tanned skin was littered with scars. A few on her back gave dull throbs as punishment for her exertion on the case. These scars did not bother Dani too much. The one that did was the one Rumsfeld had landed on.

It was an ugly, savage-looking wound that was as wide as her index finger and nearly wrapped all the way around her middle. Dani had gotten this scar at the same time as her facial scars and the ones that covered her arms, legs, chest, and back. A few of the scars still caused Dani discomfort whenever the weather changed or if touched in the wrong spots due to nerve damage. But her abdominal scar was the worst. Every time she saw it, Dani was reminded of looking down and seeing her flesh ripped open and exposed organs – _her_ organs. The pain – the blinding pain and blood…

_Blood everywhere…My blood all over me and Joey's all over the dirt… Blood all over me then just like now…Blood all over me now, blood all over me now, blood all over me now!_

Dani gasped and felt her legs give out. Her knees hit the floor painfully and she doubled over, chest heaving. Her silver cross dangled from her neck, twitching from the sudden change in movement.

_Blood all over me now, blood all over me – Joey! Joey, I'm so sorry – I'm so sorry! I –_

_**Stop. Think. This isn't your blood, Dani.** _

The still small voice that broke into Dani's panic induced thoughts caused her to slow her breathing in order to hear it more clearly.

**_Look at yourself. It's not your blood and it's not Joey's either. It's the creature's blood. You're okay. Say it._ **

"I'm okay," Dani whispered.

**_Again._ **

"I'm okay." She repeated it over and over several times until she calmed her heart and could breathe in slow, measure inhalations.

**_Get up. You're okay, Dani._ **

"I'm okay," she repeated a final time and stood from the floor. A knock on the bathroom door got her attention.

"Dani girl?" Bobby called. "I heard a bump from downstairs. Was that you?"

Dani winced. He'd heard her fall to her knees. The concern was detectable in his voice. "I'm fine, _Yonu_ ," she responded loud enough for Bobby to hear through the door. "Just tripped while stepping out of my jeans."

"All right," Bobby acknowledged.

Dani heard him walking away and then she turned to the mirror. She wrinkled her nose in revulsion. There was gore spattered in her dark brown tresses. Running her fingers through her hair, Dani heard something small drop to the floor. Something off-white glinted on the tile. Bending down to look, Dani felt her mouth fall open when she recognized what it was. A cry of repulsion escaped her.

Bobby noisily ran back up the stairs and banged on the door. "Dani, what is it!"

She picked up the object and shuddered. "I had a tooth in my hair!"


	2. Devil's Trap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I want to clarify that this fic will follow along with the show, but it will not always be a play by play. I know that can tend to be a bit boring. The only time I’ll do that will be if Dani ends up being present in the scene and if it plays a part in her narrative. With that being said, this and the following chapter will follow the “Devil’s Trap” episode to an extent because it takes place in Dani’s home, so I couldn’t see why I should skip it.)  
> [Music for Chapter 2]  
> ~ ‘All That Seems Lost’ by Tracey Chattaway  
> ~ ‘Luci’fer, You Got Some ‘Splainin’ to Do!’ by Jay Gruska

Sioux Falls, South Dakota  
May 2006

Dani woke to the smell of sausage and biscuits wafting up the stairs and into the bedroom she'd been sleeping in since she was sixteen. Well, technically, since she was about a month and a half away from turning sixteen. She quickly sat up and rolled out of bed only to drop to her knees and dig for the owl slippers that always seemed to find their way shoved under her bed. Slipping them on, Dani hurried down the stairs. Bobby's biscuits and sausages were to die for, and she wanted them hot and fresh.

She expected to see Bobby alone in the kitchen. The two attractive young men who sat at the kitchenette were a surprise. Dani stopped within the kitchen doorway and thanked God she'd decided to wear long pajama pants instead of gym shorts, although, the owl slippers and much worn, over-sized David Bowie t-shirt weren't exactly a step up.

"Uh…hi," she greeted them with confusion.

"Hi," they replied with equal confusion.

"All right, boys, here ya are – oh." Bobby. Having just left the stove to bring a sizzling skillet of sausages to the table, paused when he saw Dani.

"I didn't know you had company," Dani apologized.

"Company? Sit down, Dani, and let me reintroduce you to the boys."

One of the young men spoke before Dani could ask. "Reintroduce us?"

Bobby blinked at him, glanced at the other boy and then at Dani. "You mean to tell me that none of you recognize each other?" They all shook their heads. Bobby scratched the back of his neck as he observed their appearances. "Guess it has been several years since you three were under the same roof together. Dani, these two are Sam and Dean –,"

A memory clicked the moment she heard their first names. "Winchester?"

Bobby chuckled. "Thought you might remember them."

"Uuuh, Bobby," prodded the one with closely cut hair. "Still clueless."

Bobby snorted. "You usually are."

"No, uh, wait a minute," the other interrupted. He had darker hair and it wasn't as closely cut as his brother's. He peered at Dani. "He called you 'Dani', right? As in Danielle Callaghan?"

"That's me."

"Holy crap," he laughed as he leaned back from surprise. When he smiled, Dani recognized the little boy, Sam, that would talk about books with her during the few times that both their fathers happened to run into each other on hunting trips or dropped them off at Bobby's at the same time. Dani vaguely recalled that a quarrel between Bobby and John Winchester resulted in John not bringing the boys over to Bobby's anymore. But that had been before Dani moved in.

Sam stood from the table and Dani's eyes bulged. He stood well over six feet tall and towered over Dani. Sam had grown up, that was for certain. Tanned skin, hazel eyes, a strong jawline, and a kindhearted smile. But he appeared exhausted and a trace of anxiety was lurking in his eyes.

He grinned and stepped forward as if to initiate a hug but Dani nimbly side stepped him and took the chair between Bobby and Dean. She hopped it would look like she hadn't noticed him trying to hug her, because she didn't want to risk Sam accidentally touching any sensitive scars. She wasn't ready to explain to people how she got them. Only her Uncle Reshen, Bobby and Matt knew. And possibly one other, but she wasn't sure.

Dean, still seated at the table, raised his hand as if in class. "Still lost," he informed the group.

Sam returned to his seat and turned to his older brother. "Dean, don't you remember Dani and her brothers? They'd sometimes stay with Bobby if their dad and our dad were working on a case in the area together."

"As if I were a darn baby-sitter," Bobby grumbled.

Something akin to recognition flickered in Dean's eyes. "Callaghan… The Irish guy? What was his name – uh?" It suddenly came to him and he snapped his fingers. "Seán! You're Seán Callaghan's daughter? The Indian girl, right?"

"Cherokee, but yeah," Dani corrected good-naturedly.

Dean grinned impishly. "The one I used to put eggs under her pillow?"

"Oh yeah, that _was_ you."

"Man, you grew up."

"So, did you guys," said Dani, side-eyeing the human sequoia across the table from her.

"I remember your eldest brother Kenan helping me out with most of the pranks we pulled on you."

Dani chuckled. "That was Kenan, always up for a prank."

Dean's forehead furrowed ever so slightly. "Was?"

"I lost Da and Kenan a little over three years ago. Hunting gone wrong."

Dean swallowed. "Sorry. Are you, your mom, Matt and Joey holding up okay?"

Sam noticed Dani's chin tremble ever so slightly. "Dani?"

Bobby sighed sadly. "Dani's had her share of loses over the past few years." He turned to Dani. "You don't have to say anything, Dani girl."

" _Vtla_. It's okay."

Dean lowered his gaze, regret on his features. "How bad?"

"I lost _agitsi_ – my mother back in 1999. I was thirteen. It was a ghoul. When Da and Kenan were killed, Matt brought me and Joey here to Bobby."

"So where are Matt and Joey?"

Dani took a deep breath. "I'm not sure if you remember that Matt and I were never close."

"I seem to recall he had a huge chip on his shoulder when it came to you, but I could never figure out why," Dean commented.

"It's a long story, but to put it in short terms – Matt resented me for a lot of things that I had no control over, and he blamed me for _agitsi's_ death. That's why he left us with Bobby. He was twenty, a legal adult. We all could have remained together in our family home in Oklahoma, but… Matt's resentment of me was so strong that he wanted to leave. I wasn't even sixteen yet, so we needed a guardian – a consistently present guardian who knew about hunting, that is," Dani quickly rectified. Her family already had a guardian, but urgent matters had occurred, and Uncle Reshen had deemed it unsafe for her and Joey to stay with him for the time being.

"Bobby and Da had become good friends over the years, so, Matt brought us here. And we rarely heard from him except when he needed information or advice from Bobby concerning hunting. Then a little over a year ago, Matt suddenly showed up. No call to let us know he was coming or anything. He needed Bobby's help on a case in Nebraska, but Bobby was gone on a hunt of his own.

"Matt's case couldn't wait though. There was a monster…" Dani's fingers brushed against her right forearm where five, closely-spaced, horizontal slashes about three and a half inches long marred her skin. Dean glanced at it but refrained from asking for which she was grateful.

"Joey, being only twelve, we couldn't just leave him by himself, so Matt and I took him with us. We were going to put him in a hotel first before going after the creature. Only we never got that far. Matt didn't tell me… He didn't tell me that the road we were on actually went through the forest where all the attacks were happening. He said it was a shortcut. Joey got carsick and we had to pull over… It happened so quickly. Joey…" Dani's voice threatened to crack. She cleared her throat. "Joey was killed and Matt's…missing."

"Missing?" Sam repeated. "Did the monster –?"

"No," Dani quickly said. "No, Matt wasn't killed."

"Then how's he missing?"

"…We're not speaking."

Bobby could see that the boys had more questions, and that Dani was reaching her limit, so he cut in. "Look, you kids better eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I ain't gonna make more."

Dean and Sam took the hint and dug into their food. Dani gave Bobby a grateful smile. "So, you've been living with Bobby all this time?" Dean asked.

"Yep," Dani answered before taking a bog bite from her sausage.

Dean shook his head mournfully at Bobby. "You poor, poor man."

"Hey!" Dani slapped Dean's arm.

The jab had the desired effect of lightening the mood. Chuckles broke out breakfast went on without any other questions about Dani's multiple tragedies. Dani noted the Dean had hazel eyes like his younger brother, but they seemed a bit sharper, almost…harsher. There was humor in his gaze, sure, but at the moment it was overclouded by a sense of dark determination and anxiety. She'd noticed it while she'd been talking. Dean had listened, but it was like he was anxious to move on to something else, not out of discomfort over the subject, but because he had an something he needed to do. What was going on that had the boys so tense?

As Dani helped Bobby clear the table, she realized she'd interrupted something. "Sorry for getting you guys off-track. Please, don't stop on my account."

The young men exchanged looks with each other then looked to Bobby questioningly. He nodded. "Like we were telling Bobby earlier. Our Dad's in trouble," Dean said.

Dani searched her memories of John Winchester and found them few and lacking anything significant. She knew the boys lost their mother at an extremely young age, Sam was barely a year old and Dean was only four. Bobby had told Dani it was a monster that killed Mary Winchester and John swore to track it down, which was how the Winchester's entered into the life of Hunting. Dani had met John a few times. She remembered a haggard, dark-haired man with a haunted gaze. There'd been no warmth about him. It was like the light had gone out. Dani kept these recollections to herself as she listened to Sam and Dean's story.

Sam had gone off on his own to college, leaving Dean and their father to continue the crusade of finding Mary's murderer. After a few years of separation, Dean popped back into Sam's life to tell him that John Winchester was "on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a few days." The brothers went searching for their father and Sam's girlfriend, Jesse, was killed in the same way that their mother had been. The boys discovered that John left behind his own personal journal for the boys to find as well as clues. The boys eventually tracked down their father but now he was being held captive by demons.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dani exclaimed, holding a hand up as if to slow the conversation down. "Demons?" she repeated. " _Demon_ demons?"

"Yes," Sam sighed tiredly. "They said they'd exchange him for the Colt – a gun that can kill demons. And one of those demons happens to be named Meg and she once fooled me into thinking she was a regular girl and that we were friends."

"Bet that was a surprise," Dani remarked.

"' _Ch_ ," Sam sounded with a wry smile, "yeah."

"So now what?" Dani asked.

"We came here to Bobby for help," Dean said. "If there's a hunter out there that might know how to tackle demons –,"

"It would be _Yonu_ ," Dani finished, smiling at the old bear.

Bobby nodded. "I think I got something useful."

* * *

The walls of Bobby's living room were lined with bookshelves, overflowing their capacity. To an outsider, it would appear the man was a big reader, but if they took the time to look at the titles, they'd have lots of questions. Maps and newspaper clippings were tacked to the walls not covered with bookshelves. At first sight the room looked like a mess but given time an almost organized chaos could be detected among the disarray. Dani had no doubts that Bobby knew where every article and book was located. She'd yet to understand his jumbled organizational skills but she did know where a few important books were off hand.

Bobby grabbed two silver flasks from on top of a book and walked to Dean, holding it out to him. "Here ya go," he said.

Dean examined the ornate, rounded flask. "What is this – holy water?"

"That one is." Bobby shook the one in his own hand. "This is whiskey."

"So that's where you hid it," Dani accused, hands on her hips. Bobby smiled and sipped from the flask. He gave a loud sigh of appreciation then handed it off to Dean who also took a swig.

"Bobby, thanks," Dean said. "Thanks for everything. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure if we should come."

"Nonsense. Your daddy needs help."

"Yeah. The last time we saw you. You did threaten to blast him full of buckshot. You cocked the gun and everything."

Dani's eyebrows rose in surprise and she leaned down to be level with Sam who'd sat at Bobby's overcrowded desk to peruse some books. "Did he really?" she whispered.

"Oh yeah," Sam confirmed.

"Yeah, well, what can I say?' Bobby sighed.

"I'm sorry is a good place to start," Dani offered.

Bobby gave her a look before continuing. "John just has that effect on people."

So apparently, Dani hadn't been the only one to get the sense that John wasn't a friendly man. It made her feel a little less guilty.

"Yeah, I guess he does," Dean agreed with an almost sad smile.

"None of that matters now," Bobby went on. "All that matters is that you get him back."

"Bobby, this book." Sam chuckled and looked up from an incredibly detailed sketch of a devil's trap. "I've never seen anything like it."

" _Key of Solomon_?" Bobby crossed the room to him. "It's the real deal, all right."

Dani scoffed a quick chuckle as she moved around to Sam's other side. "It better be after what we went through to get it."

Sam tapped at the page. "And these protective circles – they actually work?"

"Hell, yeah," Bobby confirmed. "You get a demon in one, they're trapped."

"And ticked," Dani added. "You better be committed to leaving it in there cause there's no going back once you do."

"Why's that?" Sam asked.

"Cause it makes them powerless," Bobby answered. "It's like a satanic roach motel."

"The man knows his stuff," Dean said, coming over to join them at the desk.

"I'll tell you something else, too," Bobby continued. "This is some serious crap you boys stepped in."

"Oh, yeah? How's that?" Sam asked.

"Normal year, I hear, say, three demonic possessions, maybe four tops."

"Yeah?" Dean said, anxiety creeping into his eyes.

"This year, Dani and I have heard of twenty-seven so far."

"Twenty-eight," Dani corrected. Bobby and the boys looked at her questioningly. "I found an article in the newspaper yesterday that tells of a woman who showed a lot of similarities to a person who's possessed. Not to mention the crime she committed. It's amping up, guys."

Bobby swore under his breath. "You get what we're saying?" he asked the boys. "More and more demons are walking among us – a lot more."

"Do you know why?" Sam asked.

"No, but I know it's something big. The storm's coming, and you boys, your daddy – you are smack in the middle of it."

The sound of Rumsfeld barking outside put Dani on alert. Bobby whirled around. "Rumsfeld," he said with worry. He instantly hurried to the door.

Dani, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, lunged forward and grabbed his arm. "Don't!"

A whine, a yelp, and then Rumsfeld's barking ceased. Something in Dani's heart cracked but she forced herself to set it aside. She wouldn't allow herself to feel sorrow yet, not when there was an unknown danger present. She and Bobby cautiously approached the windows and peered through the blinds. "What is it?" one of the brothers asked.

Dani's gaze found the chain Rumsfeld wore, but the dog and half the chain was gone. The end of the chain swung back and forth in a taunting manner. "Something's wrong," Bobby murmured.

Just as Dani turned to get some salt and weapons, the front door was kicked wide open, bits of wood sprayed from the frame. Dani jerked away from the window and gaped in shock as a petite woman with extremely short, blond hair strutted through the wreckage. She didn't even glance at Dani and Bobby. Her eyes were focused on the Winchester brothers. "No more crap, okay?" she said, seething. The woman's appearance may have fooled the world, but one look into her eyes told the truth. There was nothing human about her gaze. It was so devoid of any semblance of humanity that Dani had no doubts as to the woman's true nature.

Dean boldly began to walk straight towards her, his hand holding the flask containing holy water and unscrewing the lid as he went. It was a fool's mission. Dean didn't even get close to opening the flask. The woman – or demon – violently slashed at the air with her arm and Dean went flying across the room and crashed into a large pile of books. His back collided with the glass of the display cabinet behind the pile and shards of glass rained down on his limp form.

"Dean?" Dani called, her voice shaking a little.

The woman's head snapped in her direction, as if finally noticing other people in the room. A cruel smile played on her lips. "Well, who do we have here? Pocahontas?"

"Rude," Dani responded, pursing her lips and schooling her features into her best 'I'm tired of this crap' expression in order to mask the urge she had to shrink back from the utter coldness in the woman's gaze.

Sam grabbed Dani by the arm and pulled her to be behind him along with Bobby, becoming a human shield as he faced down the woman. "Don't touch them," he warned.

The demon tilted her head. "Give me the Colt, Sam – the _real_ Colt – and I won't. No need to get bloody. Just give me the Colt, right _now_."

Sam and Dani felt a slight tug on their shirts from Bobby. The man didn't look at them, his eyes never left the woman, but he did begin to move towards the living room. Sam moved along with him, backing away. The demon, who Dani was starting to suspect to be Meg that Sam mentioned earlier, slowly stalked after the. "We don't have it on us," Sam replied to Meg's demand. "We buried it."

"Didn't I say, 'no more crap'?" She gave a poisonous smile as she spoke. "I swear – after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I've got to tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed."

Dani fought to keep from laughing when she realized what Bobby was doing. She bit down on her lip to stop a smile and waited for Meg to fall for it. The demon was so caught up in spouting condescending remarks that she didn't even realized she'd been had.

"First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you two chuckleheads. Lackluster, men. I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?"

Behind Meg, Dean leaned against the door frame. By his stance, Dani could tell he'd had the wind knocked out of him and looked a bit unsteady.

"Actually," he panted, "we were counting on it."

Meg slightly turned her head to look over her shoulder at him, then slowly moved the rest of her body. They stared each other down, Dean with the barest hint of a smug smirk on his lips. Then his hazel eyes lifted up. Dani watched Meg's head tilt back as she followed his gaze…and saw the giant mural of a devil's trap on the ceiling. Dani remembered thinking how paranoid Bobby was to put it on the ceiling three years ago, but now the old man's paranoia had paid off.

"Gotcha," Dean said when Meg met his stare.

Dani finally allowed herself to chuckle. "Nobody ever looks up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*I want to point out that there are different pronunciations concerning the Cherokee language, just like in English. I chose the pronunciations that seemed to be the most popular and similar.)  
> Vtla – No. (un-tlah)  
> Agitsi – My mother (ah-gee-chĭ)  
> Yonu – Bear (yō-năh)
> 
> I’ve been going through a lot of crap lately and this fic is actually helping me to get my mind off of things, so I hope it can provide you with your own bit of escape too. Until next time, Dear Readers.)


	3. It's a Girl?

Chapter Three

"It's a Girl?"

Dani was a bit miffed when she wasn't allowed to help tie Meg up to the chair. They wanted her to stay well clear of the demon. But when Bobby suggested she go into a separate room, Dani put her foot down. Her owl slipper, clad foot. "I am not a delicate flower, Bobby." She held up her scarred forearm. "Or have you forgotten already?"

Bobby winced and grumbled, but Dani was left alone. Now, here she was, still dressed in her pajamas and owl slippers, standing in the same room with a demon and about to witness her first exorcism. She caught Meg glance down at her slippers and lift a pale eyebrow. "Love the shoes," she said dryly. Dani simply folded her arms over her chest and glared back at her.

Meg's attention didn't remain on Dani for long. It went back to the Winchesters. "You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask."

"Oh wow, a kink joke," Dani said sardonically. "Real original, psycho Barbie."

"Says the girl wearing a Bowie shirt and owl slippers – I see your _Labyrinth_ joke, kid – you ain't cute. Did you lose your moccasins running away from the reservation?"

Dani's mouth fell open. "How dare –!"

Bobby came back into the study, screwing the cap back onto a large cannister. "That's enough, Dani girl. She'll say anything to get a rise out of ya." Dani took a deep breath and sighed. "I salted the doors and windows. If there are any demons out there, they ain't getting in." Sam and Dean nodded in acknowledgment. Bobby turned his eyes to Dani. "You ready?"

Dani drew in a shaky breath and nodded. "Yeah. I'll help however I can."

"Who's the kid in the pajamas?" Meg asked, a bit of annoyance in her tone.

"None of your beeswax," Bobby retorted.

Dean got up from where he sat and approached Meg. He stopped at the edge of the ward. "Where's our father, Meg?"

"You didn't ask very nice."

"Where's our father, bitch?"

Meg's mouth formed an 'o' of feigned surprise. "Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she asked, her tone oozing with concern that sounded too sickly sweet to be real. Her eyes became malicious. "Oh, I forgot. You don't."

"Hey," Dean barked, "you think this is a freaking game?!"

Dani's heart skipped a beat as she watched Dean cross the invisible line in order to get up in Meg's face. His hands grasped the chair arms to support his weight as he leaned down to Meg's level. _Too close, too close_ , Dani anxiously thought.

"Where is he?! What did you do to him?!"

Meg didn't look too disturbed in the slightest. She met Dean's gaze without fear. "He died screaming. I killed him myself."

Dean went very still, and Dani was worried that he would throttle Meg. He didn't. He just settled for the ultimate backhand slap. Dani flinched. She could have sworn she'd heard the crunch of bones as Meg's head snapped sharply along with the momentum. The demon looked up. "That's kind of a turn-on – you hitting a girl."

"You're no girl," Dean growled.

Meg's lips pulled back into another infuriating grin. Dean reared back his arm to deal another blow when Dani lurched forward and grabbed him. "Don't!"

"Dani!" Bobby hissed, quickly leaping from his slouch, and grasping her by the shirt. He pulled her back to safety and Dean jerked his arm from Dani.

"What do you mean 'don't'? Don't hit her?"

Dani nodded. "Yes, striking her like that just sinks to their level. Besides, you could end up hurting the girl."

"Are you serious?" Dean asked with obvious distaste. He stabbed a finger in Meg's direction. "She's not a girl, she's a _demon_."

Bobby, his hand still grasping Dani's shirt, gaped at Dean in disbelief. "Dean," he breathed.

"What?" the young man snapped.

Dani examined the anger in his eyes and gasped. "Bobby, he doesn't know," she whispered.

Bobby met her eyes, questioning her certainty, then looked at Dean the same way she had. He turned his gaze to Sam and seemed to come to the same conclusion. "Oh hell," he sighed. "Boys, come 'ere." He led them to the center of the living room.

"You okay?" Sam asked his brother.

"She's lying. He's not dead," Dean said quickly.

"Dean, you've got to be careful with her," Bobby insisted. "Don't hurt her."

Dean's brow wrinkled. "Why?"

"Because she really _is_ a girl. That's why," Dani answered. She cast a glance at the doorway. Meg glared murderously at her bonds.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"She's possessed. That's a human possessed by a demon," Bobby explained. "Can't you tell?"

Undisguised surprise and horror appeared on their faces. "Are you trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there?" Dean asked, skeptical.

" _Yes_ ," Dani said emphatically. "I thought all hunters knew that. I thought you guys were going to perform an exorcism, not beat her. Any damage you dole out may cause some pain to the demon, but they bounce back quick. You're really hurting the person they've possessed."

Dean looked back at Meg whose cold eyes were now directed at the group. Dean met Dani's stare. "That's actually good news." He turned to his brother. "Sam, get Dad's journal."

* * *

By now Dani was beginning to feel a bit ridiculous in her owl slippers. She slipped them off and tugged on some boots from the hall closet. She couldn't bring herself to go upstairs for a change of clothes and risk missing anything from the scene unfolding in the living room. So, she stood there, leaning against Bobby's desk, and watched as Sam and Dean consulted their dad's journal. It didn't look anything like the neat, well-kept, leather-bound medicine journal that Dani owned which had been passed down from five generations of Cherokee medicine women. Dani inherited the journal after her mother was killed, along with the title and responsibilities of being a medicine woman.

"Got it," Sam said, flicking a finger at a page.

"Let's do this," Dean mumbled.

They stood on both sides of Meg who gave Sam a sly grin. "Are you gonna read me a story?" she asked sweetly.

"Something like that," Dean said. "Hit it, Sam."

" _Regna terrae, Cantáte Deo, psállite Dómino_ –,"

"An exorcism?" Meg scoffed. "Are you _serious_?"

"We're going for it, baby," Dean assured her. "Head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards."

Dani leaned towards Bobby and whispered nervously, "Projectile vomiting?"

Bobby shrugged. "It's been known to happen."

"Oh." Dani moved back a couple of paces.

" _Tribuite virtutem Deo_ …"

Suddenly, Meg winced and moaned. Sam shared a look with Dean. Meg's breathing became labored. She jerked her head around to glare at Sam. "I'm gonna kill you," she promised. "I'm gonna rip the bones from your body."

"No, you're gonna burn in Hell," Dean shot back. "Unless you tell us where our dad is." Meg simply smiled mockingly at him. Dani shivered at the malice in her eyes. "Well, at least you'll get a nice tan," Dean said, holding his anger in check, but Dani could see the muscles of his neck tense and twitch. He wanted so badly to lash out again. Dean signaled for Sam to continue.

" _Exorcizamus te, ominus immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas_ …," Meg's body seemed to vibrate with tremors, " _omnis legio, omnis congregation et secta diabolica_."

Meg grunted, her fingers going white from how tightly she gripped the chair arms. "He begged for his life," she taunted, "with tears in his eyes. He begged to see his sons one last time. That's when I slit his throat."

Sam hesitated but pressed on. " _Ergo_ …"

Dean leaned in and glared daggers into Meg's eyes. "For your sake, I hope your lying. 'Cause if it's true, I swear to _God_ , I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches, so help me God."

"… _perditionis venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallacia_ …"

Dani felt a wind breezing over her, but she knew all the windows were shut. "Bobby," she whispered warily. He gripped her elbow and gave a squeeze. He felt it too. The sound of pages flipping rapidly caught her attention. A thick book on a stack of junk was open and the pages were flipping from the wind.

"… _hostis humanae salutis_ ," Sam read with halting words as he too noticed. " _Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nominee, quem inferi tremunt_."

Meg gave a strangled cry.

"Where is he?" Dean asked again.

"You just won't take 'dead' for an answer, will you?"

"Where is he!"

"Dead!"

"No, he's not!" Dean bent down and shouted in her ear. "He's not dead! He can't be!" Sam was quiet, clutching the book and looking uncertainly at his brother. Dean glanced up. "What are you looking at? Keep reading."

" _Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos_."

Meg threw back her head with a scream of agony, body spazzing as her chair slid along the floor by itself within the invisible circle. It jerked to a stop then started again in the other direction, only to repeat itself. To Dani, it looked as if it were a wild animal trying to escape. Dani's heart beat frantically and she grabbed hold of her cross necklace as she leaned closer to Bobby. The old man put a protective arm around her.

" _Ut inimicos sanctae ecclesiae humiliare digneris_ –," The lights flickered incessantly. Meg kept yowling. " _Te rogamus audi_ –,"

"He will be!" Meg shrieked.

"Wait!" Dean held up an arm to stop Sam. "What?"

Meg's chair became still again. "He's not dead," she wheezed, "but he will be after what we do to him."

Dean exchanged anxious looks with Sam, his face twisting with uncertainty. Dani stepped closer to Bobby, he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She couldn't tell if he'd done it for her benefit or his own.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Dean asked.

"You don't."

"Sam!" Dean barked.

Meg hastily spoke before Sam could go on. "A building!" Her chest heaved with gasping breaths. "Okay? A building in Jefferson City."

"Missouri? Where, when? An address."

"I don't know."

"And the demon," Sam spoke up, "the one we're looking for – where is it?"

"I don't know," Meg said firmly. "I swear." Her voice took on a tremor. "That's everything. That's all I know."

It was quiet except for Meg's heavy breathing. The brothers stared her down, uncertain. Dani's voice broke the silence. "For what it's worth, I think she's telling the truth."

"I think you may be right," Dean agreed, without looking away. "Finish it."

Everyone's gaze snapped to Dean. "W-what?" Meg whimpered. "I told you the truth."

"I don't care."

"You son of a bitch. You promised!"

"I lied!" Dean yelled, getting in her face. He and Meg glared murderously at each other. "Sam?" When no answer came, he dragged his gaze away to look at his brother. Sam stood quietly, staring at Meg with an expression on disbelief. "Sam!" Dean snapped. Sam's eyes flicked to him. "Read."

"We can still use her, find out where the demon is."

"She doesn't know."

"She lied."

"Sam, there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there. We've got to help her."

"Oh hell," Bobby muttered under his breath.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Just remembered somethin' the boys said about her before you came into the kitchen." Bobby approached the boys and she followed. "You're gonna kill her," he said.

"What?" Dani and Dean said in unison.

"You said she fell from a building."

Dani glanced back at the demon and sucked in a breath when it clicked. "Oh no…"

"That girl's body is broken," Bobby stated.

"That demon is the only thing holding her together, isn't it?" Dani asked.

Bobby nodded. "You exorcise it, the _girl_ is gonna die."

"Listen to me, all of you," Dean snarled. "We are not gonna leave her like that."

"She is a human being," Bobby insisted.

"And we're gonna put her out of her misery," Dean said with such force that it silenced the older man. "Sam, finish it."

Sam's eyes pleaded with him, but was met with firm, silent resolve. He glanced at Bobby and Dani, then at Meg who was so weak she could no longer sit up straight in the chair. Her eyes were unfocused as she struggled to keep her head up.

"Finish it."

With a sharp exhale, Sam resumed reading. " _Dominicos sanctae ecclesiae. Terogamus audi nos. Terribilis deus de sanctuario suo deus Israhel_ …"

Dani could never find the right words to describe what happened next. It was like watching a living person glitch. Meg's movements lagged yet at the same time she jerked around with impossible speed.

" _Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebe suae_ …"

Meg's whole body shuddered as her eyes became ink black.

" _Benedictus deus, Gloria patri_!"

She threw back her head and screamed. Out of her throat issued a jet of black smoke that seemed to be absorbed by the devil's trap on the ceiling. There was more smoke than Dani believed could be possible. Once it was all gone, Meg went limp in the chair and all was still.

_Drip…_

_What was that?_ Dani glanced at the floor near Meg. A drop of blood. There was a soft wheeze of air and the girl's head moved. She groaned as she lifted her face, spittle's of blood dangled from her mouth.

"She's still alive," Dean's voice quavered.

"Oh, dear God, no," Dani breathed. The girl had suffered enough.

"Uh, call 9-1-1," Dean told Bobby. "Get some water and blankets."

"I'll get the blankets," Dani called, dashing off to the hall closet. Bobby swiftly moved to the kitchen for water and the phone. Dani's hands trembled as she fumbled for the doorknob. "C'mon, c'mon," she grunted. Finally opening the door, she grabbed the first blanket in sight and hurried back to the living room just as Bobby was returning with a glass of water in hand.

She knelt and handed Sam the blanket who folded it and placed it under Meg's – was that the demon's name or the girl's name? – head. Dean took the water and gently cradled the young woman's head, helping her to sip. "Dani girl, you think you got somethin' in that medicine bag to help her?" Bobby asked in a hushed tone. Dani glanced at the broken woman and looked away, shaking her head.

Meg coughed, unable to drink much water. "Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam asked. Dani restrained herself from punching him and instead settled for a scathing glare.

"Not there," Meg said breathlessly. "Other ones. Awful ones."

"She really shouldn't talk," Dani warned, wanting to spare the young woman any more pain.

"Where are they keeping our dad?" Dean asked.

Dani's head snapped in his direction. "Did I freakin' stutter?" Bobby laid a hand on her arm and an unspoken conversation passed between them. It felt so callous to be questioning the girl after all she'd just been through, but judging from her ragged breaths, Dani knew there wasn't much time and that it was possibly their only chance to get answers.

"By the r-river." Meg's strength was ebbing away quickly. She could barely speak. "Sunrise," she whispered.

"Sunrise?" Dean repeated. "What does that mean?"

Meg's eyes stared unseeingly at him. Her chest ceased to move.

"What does that mean?"

"Dean…" Dani said softly, touching his arm. "She's gone." As the silent seconds ticked past, Dani solemnly extended her hand and closed Meg's eyes. "I pray she's at peace now."


	4. Rebel, Rebel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Music for Chapter 4]
> 
> ~ 'Rebel, Rebel' by David Bowie (I picture this starting to play just as Dean guns the engine)

"Rebel, Rebel"

Dani shouldered her medicine bag after doing a final, quick check of her supplies. She'd gotten dressed in a hurry, but she had all she needed. Walking swiftly to the stairs, Dani could hear the men talking.

"Eh, you better hurry up and beat it before the paramedics get here."

"What are you gonna tell them?" Dean asked.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out."

Dani had to agree. Bobby had a knack for coming up with something on the fly which is what had landed him with the unofficial job of being the 'Back Up Man' on many hunters. If a hunter needed to convince authority figures they were indeed detectives, FBI, etc., the hunters would give the person a card with a phone number on it which connected to one of several phones in Bobby's kitchen. Dani had been the one to come up with labeling the phones so Bobby wouldn't accidently answer with the wrong ID on a call. The only draw back was making sure no outsider guests – if Bobby actually ever invited people over – wandered into the kitchen.

"Here. Take this. You might need it," Bobby went on. Dani made it to the stairs just in time to see Bobby giving Sam the _Key of Solomon_.

"Thanks."

"Thank," Dean echoed, "…for everything. Be careful, all right? The both of you."

"Just go find your dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won't even try to shoot him this time."

"Now that's something you better keep your word about," Dani chuckled as she descended the stairs.

Bobby's eyes instantly went to her medicine bag. "Where do you think you're going?"

"With them."

"The hell you are!"

Dean and Sam looked surprised at Bobby's gruff answer. Dani made it to the ground floor and met Bobby's glare. " _Yonu_ , they need help."

"You ain't goin'."

" _Yonu_ –,"

"Absolutely not!"

"I'm not dying anymore, Bobby! I'm in one piece and alive."

"One swift punch to the gut and you're out of the fight and dead, Dani."

"Um," Dean started.

"Can it!" Bobby snapped, prompting Dean to instantly close his mouth. "Dani girl, you need more time to build up your strength."

"I always need more time," Dani scoffed.

"You're staying here and that's the end of it!"

"Dani," Sam said gently. "We wouldn't be comfortable with you coming anyway. It's our dad and there's no reason why you should risk your neck for us."

"Are you kidding? We played together here. We're hunters and hunters should help each other because they're so busy helping others against threats they don't even know exist."

"We're grateful for the offer, Dan," Dean said, resorting to the nickname her used to call her with they were kids. "But my brother and I can handle this." He and Sam turned to go.

"Can you?" Dani asked a bit harshly. "You don't even know how many there are."

Dean paused, prompting Sam to look back at him. "You've lost enough, Dani. We're not going to let you risk your life too," Dean said with finality. "We'll see you around."

" _Stiyu_."

Dean craned his neck to look at her. "What's that mean? 'Good-bye'?"

"It means 'be strong'. There's no actual word for good-bye in Cherokee because…it's too final a word. We also say ' _donadagohvi_ ', which means, 'until we meet again'."

"Well…right back at ya."

Dani embraced them both then hurried back up the stairs, pretending to be overwhelmed. Without wasting any time, she went to her bedroom window, pushed it open, and clambered out onto the roof. She made her way to the drainpipe and scurried down. She'd never been in the habit of sneaking out of Bobby's house before but practiced the escape route in case of emergency which had just paid off without resulting in a broken neck.

Ducking down to avoid being seen, she peered into the kitchen window to see the three were still talking. It was now or never. She could only hope the car wasn't locked.

* * *

Sam and Dean had been driving for about fifteen minutes and talking strategy the whole time. "What do you think she meant by 'sunrise'?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. The only thing that comes to mind is a time limit, you know?"

"What, like, we have until sunrise? That kind of thing?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't make much sense."

"Could be a place," Dean suggested.

" _Achoo_!"

"Bless you," they said in unison. Both of them frowned in confusion and looked at each other. "It wasn't me," Dean said.

"It wasn't me either," Sam insisted.

" _Achoo_!"

Sam twisted in his seat and looked down in the space between the back seats and the car's floor. Squeezed in there and covered up with their various bags and junk, was Dani. "Dani!"

Dean slammed on the brakes so quickly, they were lucky there were no other vehicles on the road. He put the car in park and turned around to glare at the stow-away.

Dani smiled guiltily up at them and fluttered her fingers in greeting. " _Osiyo_ , boys." She said cheerfully.

Dean shook his head vehemently. "No, no, nope, _mh-mh_ , no – not happening."

"Bobby's gonna kill us," Sam groaned.

"No, he won't," Dani grunted as she pulled herself up and onto the back seat. "He'll just kill _me_."

"How did you even –,"

"Drainpipe."

"How did you get –,"

"Door was unlocked."

Sam gave his brother a pointed frown. Dean grumbled something under his breath before speaking aloud. "Dani, we can't take you with us."

"If it's because of what Bobby said –,"

"It's not," Sam assured her. "We just can't involve more people, it's not our right to ask."

"But you didn't. I'm _offering_ my help," Dani pointed out.

"And we said 'no'," Dean said a bit too roughly. He caught a glimpse of hurt in her eyes and back tracked a bit. Letting out a sigh and rubbing his forehead, Dean chose his words carefully. "Look, Dan… It's not that we don't appreciate the offer, or think you wouldn't be able to help, or anything like that, okay? It's just that…" He glanced at Sam and saw that unspoken worry was mirrored in his brother's eyes. "It's just that we can't allow you to join us on a mission we're pretty certain we may die from."

Dani looked at their faces very carefully. "Isn't that the kind of work a hunter faces every day?"

Dean opened and shut his mouth then exchanged a look with Sam. The younger Winchester gave a faint nod. Dean sighed, defeated. "All right, fine." Dani fought to hide her triumphant grin. Dean pointed a finger at her as if to halt her. "But first thing's first. Go to the trunk and look for a wooden box about yea big," he held his hands a foot apart, "it's got an amulet of protection you're gonna wear."

"I don't need a –,"

" _Nah-ah_!" Dean interrupted, that index finger stabbing the air again. "Either you wear the amulet or no deal."

"Fiiine," Dani huffed and opened the left passenger door. She got out and closed the door with a bit more force than necessary and made her way to the Impala's trunk. She pulled the latch, but it remained closed. "Hey, Dean, do you need keys to unlock this thing?" she called. The thud of something being tossed on the road caught her attention as well as a car door closing. "Dean?"

The Impala's engine revved up and its tires squealed on the pavement as it took off without her. "Hey! Hey, that's not fair!" Dani shouted, running after them. "Sam! Dean! That is so low! You jerks – come back here! _Dehena_!" When it became obvious she couldn't catch up and they had no intention of returning, Dani stopped her pursuit and bent over, hands on her knees, chest heaving and scars stinging. She took a big gulp of air and hurled one last insult with all her might. "Idjits!"

The Impala vanished around a bend in the road and that was that. The road remained empty, very little traffic came down this way, and Dani eyed the path back. Her satchel lay on the road where Dean had chucked it. Reluctantly, Dani trudged towards the bag and refrained from giving it a kick of frustration as she glared down at it. "Making the Cherokee walk back." She ' _tsk_ 'ed. "What else is new."

* * *

It took her over and hour to make it back to Bobby's house. By the time she made it to the dirt driveway, all hopes of sneaking back in without him ever knowing she'd been gone were crushed when she saw him waiting for her on the front porch. Dani cringed as she approached but forced a smile on her face. " _Osiyo, yonu_ ," she said with a nervous catch in her voice.

"Hi, idjit," Bobby greeted flatly.

The cheerful smile slowly drained away and was replaced with a strained, uneasy grimace. "Oh, boy," she mumbled.

* * *

"I can't believe you were gonna do somethin' so stupid!"

Sitting on the living room sofa, Dani sank even further into the cushions. Nothing like being scolded after a failed plan.

"I specifically told you –!"

" _Aquanita_!" Dani exploded. "I know you've told me! You've told me a thousand times, but you know what, Bobby? I got sick of hearing you say it for the thousand and one'th time."

"Those boys said they didn't need any help."

Dani rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, those boys are just as hog-headed as you."

"Or _you_."

"The point is –,"

" _The point is_ ," Bobby interrupted with an edge in his tone, "that you thought you could help them go up against demons, even though you ain't never had experience with any up until now."

"How else is a hunter supposed to get experience? What if every hunter didn't go after something because he'd never fought it before?" Dani dropped her voice to sound like a masculine dunce. "Oh, well, I ain't never fought a loup-garou before; guess I'll have to sit this one out." She smiled sarcastically at Bobby and returned to her normal voice. "Yeah, sounds smart and responsible to me."

Bobby's face turned beet red. "Don't you sass me, young lady!"

Dani leapt to her feet, her blood boiling. "Uncle Reshen thinks I'm ready!"

"Reshen ain't around you enough to make that call! He wasn't even there to save you!"

"Neither were you!"

That shut both of them up. Bobby swallowed thickly and turned to leave the room. "Bobby…" Dani followed him into the kitchen but kept a little bit of distance between them as he roughly pulled out pots from the cabinets and began preparing to make dinner. Dani sighed, regret eating away at her. "Bobby, I never should have said that."

Bobby shrugged, keeping his back to her. "You're free to speak your mind."

"That wasn't my mind, that was me speaking out of anger. You know I don't blame you for not being there."

"But I do," Bobby hissed, turning around suddenly to face her. She saw the pain in his eyes. "If I hadn't gone off to hunt down that wendigo and left you and Joey alone –,"

Dani quickly closed the distance between them, her hand touching his arm. "How were we to know Matt would come back looking for your help? We had no idea what we were up against. No hunter ever really does, even when they're looking it right in the eyes. You never know if that creature has a trick up its sleeve."

"…You nearly died…"

"And by some miracle, I didn't. It wasn't my time then, but I can't live in fear of wondering when my time will come…. And neither can you."

Bobby rubbed his forehead and stared at the ground. Dani waited for him to get his thoughts together. After a moment, he cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and returned to getting supper ready. "I shouldn't have said that about yer godfather. Reshen's a good man – er…you know what I mean."

Dani chuckled and went about setting the table. " _Asehi_. Yeah, I do. He doesn't blame you either. It's himself he blames."

"Looks like we got that in common." Bobby glanced over his shoulder at her before placing some raw meat on the heated skillet. "I suppose he's the one who's been training you lately?" he asked casually. Dani's eyes widened. She said nothing. Bobby snorted at the busted look on her face. "Don't think I'm oblivious to everything, Dani girl. I noticed you been movin' around like ya got sore muscles and seen you practicing in the junk yard when you think I ain't around."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well…" Bobby sighed through his nose and kept his attention on the meat. "With Reshen being your actual guardian, I kind felt like it wasn't my place to argue."

"You're just as much my guardian, _yonu_."

"Yeah, but the only reason yer livin' with me instead of with him is because of that war he's fighting." Dani shrugged as if to say, 'fair point.' Bobby studied her for a moment. "But I suppose that having only one guardian making the effort to seriously train you ain't fair."

Dani felt her heart skip a beat. "So, you'll stop holding me back?" she asked.

"No more benching you. But if I see your scars are paining you to the point of being helpless –,"

"Help me fight against the pain," Dani said in a rush. "Train me to push through it."

Bobby looked at her sympathetically. "There's always going to be pain, Dani girl. The doctors said so."

"I know but…" Dani licked her lips, searching for the right words. "But I have to get to the point where I won't be out of the fight if I take a hit. I have to build up a resolve. Will you help me do that?"

Bobby gave her a resigned smile and stretched out his right arm to pull her to him in a side hug. "Yeah, Dani girl. I'll help." Dani returned his hug and then went about helping him make dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aquanta / Aquanita – I know [a fact] (*ah-quah-nee-tah)
> 
> Asehi – Yes (*ah-say-hee)
> 
> Dehena – Come here (Day-hay-nah)
> 
> Donadagohvi – Until we meet again (dō-năh-dăh-gō-huh-ē)
> 
> Osiyo – Hello (oh-see-yōh)
> 
> Stiyu – Be strong (stee-you)
> 
> Yonu – Bear (yō-năh)
> 
> *asterisks mean I am making a guess as to the pronunciations, basing it off what I know of the Cherokee language.


	5. Tall Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A case in Springfield, Ohio has the boys stumped. Too many different urban legends are floating around and none of them are checking out. They call on Dani for some help. Luckily for her, she's got an uncle willing to be her road trip buddy for the thirteen hour drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Songs for Chapter 5]
> 
> ~ 'Danny Boy' (any version you like, but I'm partial to the one by The Hound + The Fox)
> 
> ~ 'Ramble On' by Led Zepplin
> 
> ~ 'Eyes of Silver' by The Doobie Brothers

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Nine Months Later

February 12th, 2007

"You want Dani to do _what_?" Bobby asked sharply into the phone. Dani, who had been sitting on the living room sofa and making notes in her medicine journal, lifted her head from its pages and walked towards the kitchen door.

"Well…it _sounds_ safe enough," Bobby begrudgingly agreed. "It's an awfully long drive though…"

" _Psst_!" Dani stage whispered. Bobby gave a start and looked her way. " _Do u sdi_?"

"Hold on, Dean," Bobby mumbled and held the phone to his chest. "It's the boys and…they're askin' for your help."

" _Do'ke_? Nine months without a visit, I have to hear second hand from you about their da's death, and _now_ they need my help?" Dani deadpanned. Bobby opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say. "I'm totally in," Dani quickly answered. "What do they need?"

" _Erm_ , they need you to take a thirteen-hour drive to Springfield, Ohio and go undercover as a college student."

Dani gaped. "Thirteen hours?"

Bobby nodded.

"…How much is a plane ticket?"

"Over nine-hundred forty dollars."

"…How soon do I need to hit the road?"

"I'll book you a hotel room at the midway point so you can get some sleep."

"Nah, it's fine. I'll drive until I get tired and pull into the first place I see."

"Well, I'll still be payin' for the room."

"No arguments from me. Can I talk to Dean?" The phone exchanged hands. " _Osiyo_ , Dean! You leave me stranded on the side of the road, you don't write, you don't call; what's up?"

She could feel Dean cringing. "Yeeeah, sorry 'bout that. Crap happened."

"Eh, no biggie. So, what's going on?"

"That's what Sam and I are still trying to figure out. This case it's – it's all over the place! We're kinda stumped and we could use someone on the inside."

"All right. So, what do you know?"

* * *

"I know yer just goin' to college undercover," Bobby chuckled. "But I still get the feeling like yer leavin' me."

Dani turned away from the suitcase she'd spent the past hour packing and smiled at him. " _Yonu_ , I'm not leaving you forever. The boys need help. I'll show up, point them in the right direction, and probably be home within a week."

Bobby placed both hands on her shoulders. "Dani girl…"

Her lips quirked up at the familiar nickname. Her father, an Irish immigrant who'd come to America at the age of twenty-five, used to sing his favorite song 'Danny Boy' to Dani when she was a baby to get her to fall asleep. He'd changed the lyrics to 'Dani Girl' and the nickname had stuck ever since. In fact, Seán had called her by the nickname so often that even Bobby had slipped into the habit.

Dani raised a comforting hand to Bobby's bearded cheek and smiled at him reassuringly. "It'll be fine, _yonu_."

Bobby covered her hand with his and squeezed. " _Promise_ me you'll be careful."

"I will. And if any trouble happens, I'll call Uncle Reshen. He said so himself that it looks like that war is beginning to wane with his people as the victors."

Bobby nodded but she could tell he still wasn't certain. "The last time you went on a hunt without me –,"

"Bobby," Dani warned. "Don't start."

"Sorry." He gave her a tight smile. "You about ready?"

"A few more things and then I'll be going."

* * *

February 13th, 2007

In the 1970 Ford Ranger that Bobby had fixed up and gifted her on her sixteenth birthday, Dani kept time to Led Zepplin's 'Ramble On' by drumming her left hand on the steering wheel. She kept her eyes on the look out for Exit 44 which would lead her to I-70 W toward Indianapolis. She still had over a hundred and twenty miles to go, and she was dog tired. Yes, she'd managed to catch some sleep at a motel, but the bed had none of the comforts of home and the guests in the next room had been horny and loud. She'd tried blocking them out by burying her head under the pillows but then the wall banging started to vibrate her headboard and sleep went out the window.

"Whoo, they are really going at it, aren't they?"

The sound of a male voice caused Dani to tumble out of bed in surprise. The bedsheets covered her head, blocking her view of the speaker. It was a testament to how tired she was for the speaker's voice to have startled her so much because she'd recognize that voice from anywhere.

A taloned hand pulled away the covers and Dani beamed up at the face smirking at her. " _Osiyo_ , stranger," she greeted her godfather warmly.

The goblin's sharp teeth glinted in the dim light of her bedside lamp as he chuckled. "Need a hand?" Dani grasped his grey-tinged hand and he hauled her up. They instantly embraced and he kissed the top of her head. "Holy crap, you've gotten taller. I order you to stop that at once."

Dani pulled away. "Bobby called you, didn't he?"

Reshen shrugged evasively. "He maaay have gotten in touch with me and asked I keep you company part of the way."

She snorted. "Of course." Looking him over, Dani quirked a disapproving eyebrow. "Where's your glamour? Shouldn't you be wearing that above ground? Isn't it one of the rules of being the Goblin King?"

Reshen chuckled and tapped the tip of her nose. "Rule number one of being a king, sweetheart; the rules don't always apply."

"What if someone sees you?"

"All right, all right. If it makes you comfortable," Reshen sighed good-naturedly. He tapped twice on a goblin sigil tattooed on his inner left wrist. Instantly, the greyish skin, reflective silver eyes, sharp teeth, pointed ears, and other extremely angular facial features softened, morphed, and were replaced with the handsome features of a grey-eyed man in his late thirties, dressed in a tan colored suit and dark grey tie. Just like in his goblin form though, he was still bald, but it worked for him. "Better?" Reshen asked.

"Well, now I won't be worried someone will see you through the window."

"And if that ever were to happen, I'd simply give them a winning smile, twitter my fingers, and bid them a 'good night'." Dani laughed and tossed her pillow at him, which he caught effortlessly. "Mind the suit," he advised.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she teased and plopped on the bed while Reshen sat in the chair across from her. "So, how goes the war?"

Reshen smiled and gestured in feigned confusion. "What war?"

Dani gasped. "It's over?"

A long-awaited smile of relief graced Reshen's face. "The ghouls surrendered four days ago, and we've been talking terms since then. Stubborn and vile creatures, but I think we may finally be able to engage in peace." His expression darkened a bit. "For however short it may be."

The orgasmic cry of the woman in the next room interrupted their talk. "Oooh, god!"

"Is good," Dani added uncomfortably.

Reshen chuckled at her and turned his attention to the wall. "Let's have no more of that, _hm_?" With a flippant flick of his fingers, the sounds from the couple ceased.

Dani's eyes widened. "Did you –?"

Reshen's chuckle of amusement turned to one of real mirth. "No, sweetheart. I merely created a sound barrier so that we can get some sleep tonight."

"Dibs on the bed!" Dani automatically said.

Reshen _tsked_. "Can't we share?" he nearly whined.

"Sorry, _edutsi_ , but sharing a bed with you became inappropriate around the time I turned twelve."

Reshen's brow wrinkled. "When did you turn twelve? You're still six!" he joked.

"I turned twenty last June and you know it!" Dani laughed.

"When did that happen; why was I not informed!"

They bantered back and forth but Reshen had no intention of stealing the bed from his goddaughter and went to sleep on the narrow couch without any real complaints. They hit the road at half after six the next morning.

"Could we change the music?" Reshen asked.

"What do you have against Led Zepplin?"

"I'm just not feelin' it."

Dani huffed and gestured for him to do as he pleased. "Just no country," she advised.

"I thought you loved country music?"

"I do, but not as much as _you_ apparently since you try to sing along to _every_ song and – as good of a singer that you are, you're straight up awful when you don't know the song!"

Reshen grinned and began to surf the stations, teasingly pausing at a country station. He laughed at the warning glare Dani sent him and continued to scan the radio.

"I forgot how annoying you can be during road trips," she commented, jokingly.

"You're only saying that because I always win at the ABC game."

"How old are you again?"

"As old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth."

"Oh, so informative."

"Speaking of informative; did those Winchester brothers provide you with any information about this case that has them so perplexed?"

Dani waited until Reshen settled on a song – 'Eyes of Silver' by the Doobie Brothers – and began to relay what she'd been told.

"About a week ago, a professor at Springfield University supposedly committed suicide by jumping from his office window four stories up. But the word around campus is that Crawford Hall has a resident _asgina_ – a ghost. What's got Sam and Dean stumped is they went to the local bar to interview some college student reporters about the ghost story and the details were all over the place. They interviewed several other students, and each gave a different version it. Sam and Dean went to the professor's office to do an EMF scan and got zilch, but they didn't get a chance to search the place thoroughly because the janitor stayed in the room.

'Now here's where it gets interesting. Just when Sam and Dean were suspecting the whole story to be a bust, the janitor tells them he was there the night the professor died and even saw him going to his office with a young woman."

"What's so significant about that?"

"The professor was married and had kids."

" _Aaah_."

"Yep. And guess what he was a professor of, Ethics and Morality. Had a book out that was doing really well too."

"Almost seems like a morbid joke."

Dani's brow furrowed in thought as something about his comment niggled at her. "…Yeah."

"Why'd the Winchesters call you?" Reshen asked.

"They want me to go undercover as a student at the college. They've already introduced themselves as electricians to the staff and can only do so much investigating on campus before people become suspicious. With me –,"

"New face, new student. It would be natural for a newcomer to be curious and ask questions."

"Plus, no one would question my presence on campus."

Reshen gave a nod. "I dig it."

Dani sputtered a laugh. "You _dig_ it?"

"What? Isn't that how young folk talk these days?"

"Yeah; _young_ folk, Mr. Old-As-Time. Coming from you it sounds ridiculous."

"And just how am I supposed to sound?"

Dani ran an assessing eye over him. "Well, with your glamour on, I'd say sophisticated."

To his credit, Reshen waited a full three seconds before erupting into laughter.

"I wonder if _elisi_ knew what she was doing when she allowed you to be _agitsi's_ godfather?"

It was a story Dani loved to hear as she was growing up; of how the Goblin King Reshen became the protector of Dani's family. A sickness had broken out among Reshen's kingdom, goblins were dying, and the physicians had tried everything they knew. Reshen, desperate to help his people, sought aid from the above-worlders. He was told of a Cherokee woman who came from a long line of medicine women. Each had been sought after for their remedies and wisdom. The current Cherokee woman was said to have knowledge of natural medicine unlike any other. Her name was Awinita – which meant 'fawn' – and she was only twenty-four.

Reshen ordered his scouts to search for Awinita and bring her to the kingdom at any cost. So, when she was finally located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and refused to go quietly – the scouts kidnapped her. It took about a week for Reshen to convince Awinita he meant her no harm and only wished for her to help find a cure for his people. It took another seven months for one to be found. During all that time, Awinita refused to leave Reshen's kingdom until a cure was discovered and proven to work. She earned great respect among the goblins and they gave her a new Cherokee name; Onida – 'the one searched for'.

Reshen, in his gratitude to her, vowed to be the protector of the women of Onida's direct bloodline – those who would inherit the title and responsibilities of medicine woman. By her family's tradition, it always fell to the first-born female, which was Dani's mother, Galilahi, and was passed down to Dani. Reshen watched over them as best he could, but then the war with the ghouls happened and then… _that_ night happened…

"Hey."

Dani shook herself. "What?"

"Where'd you go? You had that far away look in your eye."

"I was just…thinking about the case."

"Now I am just plain insulted that you even tried to lie to me."

"I wasn't –,"

Reshen quickly silenced her with a lifted finger. " _Ah-ah_. Danielle Awenasa Callaghan, not only have I known you since birth, but my abilities allow me to know when someone is lying – and you, my dear, are lying."

"Stupid goblin magic," Dani mumbled under her breath.

"So, what were you really thinking about?"

"…I was thinking about…the night _agitsi_ was killed." She felt the change in the air, a prickling sensation on her skin.

"Oh?" was Reshen's reply.

"You told me the Ghoul King sent that assassin to kill _agitsi_ in order to distract you from the war."

"…He hoped that I would be so overcome with grief that I wouldn't be able to focus, yes."

"…Did you ever find him?"

"I did. Two years ago."

Dani whipped her head around in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, sweetheart, you'd recently lost Joey and were busy with your physical recovery. Not to mention your mental health. You had enough going on. I personally saw to it that that ghoul would never come after my loved ones again."

Reshen turned his face away to stare out the passenger window. She couldn't see his expression, but she heard the ice in his voice as he said, "I sent what remained of his body wrapped up as a gift to the Ghoul King as a warning. He got the message loud and clear."

Dani couldn't suppress the shiver that went down her spine. While she loved Reshen with all her heart and considered him family, she knew there was another side to him that he didn't want her to see. He was a goblin, after all, and goblins were very rarely kind and loving. Reshen was different though.

He was the first son of the Alpha Goblin – the _first_ goblin in creation – and a human mother. When his father was killed by the ghouls many centuries ago, Reshen inherited the crown. It was long suspected that Reshen got his compassion and ability to love from his human mother, but because he wasn't fully human, his emotions were all jumbled up and confusing. Reshen barely had any memories of his mother, she'd died of old age, but he'd still been a small child due to the goblin's slow aging process. Because of this, he'd had to figure out most human emotions on his own.

Despite his human side, Reshen was still dangerous. But Dani never doubted her safety with him. How could she when the family videos and photo albums so often showed Reshen, in his glamour and true form, playing with Dani and her brothers as children? He rarely missed a birthday or a Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Dani knew in her heart that Reshen would have died in her mother's place if he'd been there. He loved Dani and her family with a ferocity that bordered on scary, but what could you expect from a creature nearly as old as time, left to his own devices to decipher human emotions, and had no living family of his own to love?

 _"Sometimes I think that your elisi knew she wasn't just saving your edutsi's kingdom,"_ Galilahi had confided in her daughter once. _"A creature that old and alone for so long… Elisi probably knew she was giving him a gift when she accepted his offer of protection."_

"You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Reshen asked, his gaze still fixed out the window. His voice came out strained. " _Please_ tell me you know that."

Without a word, Dani took one hand from the steering wheel and threaded her fingers through his right hand that had been resting in his lap. He slowly turned his head away from the window, grey eyes lowering to their clasped hands then lifting to Dani's face. She smiled. A sigh of relief escaped him and the tension left his body. He gave her a grateful squeeze before releasing it to fiddle with the radio again.

"When do we eat?" he asked.

* * *

Dani had given her godfather a map of Springfield about ten minutes before entering the city and Reshen dutifully unfolded it and told her which streets to take to get to the King's Lair Hotel where the Winchesters were staying. "Oh, I've been in this area before!" Reshen said suddenly with recognition as they passed a mural painted on the side of a building. "Ha! I could have just teleported you here!"

"No, Uncle Reshen."

"But –,"

" _Vtla_! If you use too much magic, your glamour won't hold. You said so yourself."

"Curse your memory, child," Reshen sulked. He glanced at the map then at the street signs. "Make a right at the traffic light."

It was nearly eleven in the morning by the time Dani pulled into the hotel's parking lot. Reshen took in the grimy sign, the graffitied alley walls, the trash cans in the alley way beside it, and the brick walls in desperate need of a power wash.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," he said quickly. "No godchild of mine – scratch that – no god _daughter_ of mine is going to sleep in that rat hole."

"Says the goblin who lives underground."

"A _palace_ underground, thank you very much. One that, may I remind you, you've visited and spent the night in on several occasions."

Dani looked at the hotel and sighed. "What is it with trashy hotels giving themselves grand names? Isn't that false advertising?"

"'The King's Lair'… _Bah_!" Reshen scoffed.

"Well, I better get inside. The boys are waiting for me."

"Let me carry your bags."

He was out of the truck in a flash and shouldering her duffle bag and extending the pull handle of her suitcase by the time she joined him. "Maybe I should go in alone?" she suggested.

Reshen blinked at her, glanced at the questionable hotel, then back at her. "Ha. _Nope_."

"But I'm not so sure you meeting the boys is such a good idea."

"Why?"

"Because if they catch on that you're not human – and trust me, there's a few things you say and do that give it away to hunters – they may attack you before we get a chance to explain. Their da…" Dani pressed her lips together as she thought of the best way to describe John Winchester's methods of training his sons to be hunters without disparaging the dead. "Everything was black or white. He trained them to kill. You're a grey area, but to John Winchester, you would have been black. I'm not sure if his boys adopted that view or not."

Reshen smiled and cupped the back of her head as he drew her to him. "Okay, Dani. I'll say good-bye here. Although, you do realize you'll have to carry all your bags up those stairs, right?"

"On second thought –,"

"Too late. Love you, child. Be safe."

And just like that, Dani was standing alone in the parking lot.

"…Stupid goblin magic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry that most of that was backstory about Reshen and his connection to Dani's family. I hope you liked him though. He's one of my favorites to write other than Dani and Crowley. Until next time, Dear Readers!)
> 
> Agitsi – {my} Mother (ah-gee-chĭ)
> 
> Asgina – Ghost
> 
> Do'ke? – Really?
> 
> Do u sdi? – What is it? (Doh-oo-sdee)
> 
> Edutsi – Uncle
> 
> Elisi – Grandmother (aa-lee-sĭ)
> 
> Osiyo – Hello (Oh-see-yōh)
> 
> Vtla – No (un-tlah)

**Author's Note:**

> (It's a short chapter, I know, but hopefully it's piqued your interest. At the end of the chapters, I'll list the pronunciation of Cherokee words Dani uses for you. Feel free to ask me any questions or leave a review! I hope to post another chapter soon. Until next time, Dear Readers.)
> 
> Yonu – (yō-năh)


End file.
